On Thursday, Naredco called upon developers associated with all real estate ventures in Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway region to establish isolation facilities for workers impacted by Covid at their construction sites.
These isolation units will be fitted with essential medical supplies, including beds, wheelchairs, oximeters, and sanitizers. The authorities overseeing Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway have tasked Naredco with the responsibility of setting up these facilities, ensuring that immediate medical assistance is available to Covid-affected laborers before they are transferred to hospitals for serious care.
Collectively, Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway house over 200,000 residential units at various stages of construction. UP-Rera is aware of the ongoing crisis but has yet to grant developers any specific relief regarding deadline extensions. Despite over 25% of migrant workers having left the area for their home regions, estimates suggest that around 100,000 workers remain on almost 240 construction sites in these cities.
According to RK Arora, president of Naredco-UP, this initiative stemmed from the local authorities of Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway. 'We are spearheading this program and have so far instructed builders to set up isolation structures for laborers at 250 different project sites across these urban areas,' he stated. The mission aims to provide fundamental support to workers affected by Covid before they are moved to the nearest hospitals. Yet, builders assert there have been no significant Covid outbreaks reported at any construction site. Even so, they caution that the persistent pandemic is likely to influence project timelines.
Pankaj Bajaj, president of Credai-NCR, reiterated, 'So far, we have not received reports of major Covid-19 incidences at any location. However, the drop in available workforce and interruptions to the supply chain during lockdown have adversely affected operations at various sites and the anticipated completion dates. Consequently, project timelines may witness delays.'